This past weekend, Formula E found itself in Shanghai for the 10th and 11th rounds of the ABB FIA World Championship. The Hankook Shanghai E-Prix saw dominance from Nick Cassidy and Maximilian Gunther. These two drivers were able to convert their respective pole position into wins.
Round 10
Utilizing both Attack Mode and Pit Boost, Gunther finished seven seconds ahead of his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne, leading him to DS Penske’s first ever 1-2.
Having about a minute more of Attack Mode than Nissan’s Oliver Rowland, the current championship leader, Gunther managed to overtake Rowland on Lap 26, speeding past him on the start/finish straight.
He is currently sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, with DS Penske standing at third in the Teams’ Championship.
“Already qualifying was super strong and I had a very good feeling in the car,” said Gunther. We delivered really good laps, and that was the first milestone of the day.”
On the final lap of the race, Vergne pulled off a graceful move that would earn him his first podium of the season. At the final chicane, he swerved around both Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum and NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard, securing DS Penske’s 1-2 result.
This second-place finish was a significant step up from his P10 result in qualifying. He now sat fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Barnard, who had led the race at one point following a hairy overtake through a chicane, claimed the last spot on the podium. He had also been in second, after battling it out and eventually making another chicane overtake on Rowland.
His P3 finish, however, was a downgrade from his P2 result in qualifying. After this race, he sat in fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Round 11
Round 11 of the Hankook Shanghai E-Prix welcomed Cassidy as its polesitter.
The race was moved up, starting two hours before its original start time, due to heavy rains forecasted for later on.
However, due to delays, the race ended up starting an hour and a half after its new start time. After the first seven laps being held under a Safety Car, the cars made a rolling start into the race.
Cassidy led every lap of the rainy race, securing his first win of the season. In the GEN3 Era, this was the first time a driver had led every lap from start to finish. Not only did he convert pole position to a win, but he made history – making this drive particularly special.
Cassidy now sits in seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, right behind Gunther.
Just below Cassidy on the podium was Tag Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein. His teammate Antonio Felix de Costa followed him home for third. This 2-3 finish helped propel Porsche ahead of Nissan in the Teams’ Championship. However, Nissan is still ahead of Porsche in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Wehrlein is second in the Drivers’ Championship, only 68 points behind Rowland. De Costa is right behind his teammate in third place.
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The next round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will take place in Jakarta on June 21.
Featured Image Credit: Formula E Media Centre
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